Iwi reburial bill riles Native Hawaiians

Contractors unearthed 19 sets of human remains, or iwi, at the Wai­ho­nua at Kewalo construction site. The iwi appeared to include royalty.

Dug-up bones and unidentified remains of Native Hawaiians may be reburied on an uninhabited island if a proposed law passes.

Hawaii's Senate is considering a bill that would designate the island of Kahoolawe as the resting place for unknown or "inadvertently discovered" Hawaiian bones when those remains can't be reburied nearby.

The state's Department of Land and Natural Resources, which includes the Historic Preservation Division, supports the bill. Meanwhile several Native Hawaiians have voiced opposition, saying that transplanting bones from their island of their burial is culturally inappropriate.

The department's chairman, William Aila Jr., has submitted testimony in support of the bill. He was not immediately available for comment Friday, a department spokeswoman said.

The transfer of bones desecrated by a disinterment would upset the spiritual harmony of Kahoolawe, considered a sacred island, said Davianna McGregor, a spokeswoman for Protect Kahoolawe Ohana, a heritage organization for the island.

The organization's testimony to the Senate urged amendments that would compel the state to move human remains as little as possible.

"Under no circumstances should the iwi kupuna (ancestors' bones) be taken to another island, especially Kanaloa Kahoolawe," the letter reads.

McGregor said Kahoolawe would be a suitable site for remains returned to Hawaii from abroad, if their island of origin was unknown. The small island off the west coast of Maui is being held in trust by the state for a future Native Hawaiian sovereign entity.

Other critics of the bill tell lawmakers that they don't believe the state is qualified to make decisions about such burials without thorough consultation with Native Hawaiian groups. They also express concern about the difficulty of protecting and maintaining burial sites on Kahoolawe.

By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the TERMS OF SERVICE. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. Because only subscribers are allowed to comment, we have your personal information and are able to contact you. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. To report comments that you believe do not follow our guidelines, email commentfeedback@staradvertiser.com.

Leave a comment

Name:

Comment:

Please login to leave a comment.

Maneki_Nekowrote:

This idea is probably because the Train to Nowhere will dig up tons of iwi kupuna as it digs through Kaka'ako. Also the developers need someplace to dump their diggings since the space under the garage up ramps at WalMart are full.

So I guess we ship the ancestors to Kahoolawe so the train and condos can go on.

on January 31,2014 | 12:53PM

Name:

Comment:

postmanxwrote:

Wholly god! I guess it's a start, get rid of the dead Hawaiians first. I can't imagine the bad mana a policy like this would bring on to all of Hawaii. Non starter. A person's final resting place is pretty personal no matter how long ago, you can't just dig bones and move them to a desecrated island.

on January 31,2014 | 06:35PM

Name:

Comment:

lwandcahwrote:

Unbelievable. Does the state really think that Hawaiian families, activists and supporters would think this was pono? Auwe!

on January 31,2014 | 02:16PM

Name:

Comment:

islandsunwrote:

The Sate don't care. They got the important Hawaiians in key positions to sell out anyway.

on January 31,2014 | 05:07PM

Name:

Comment:

nippy68wrote:

yup...sell out is what it is and dont forget their six figure paycheck plus bonuses.

If the Iwi could talk, where would they rather be? I'm not saying, I'm just wondering. If it were my bones, then ... .

on January 31,2014 | 02:40PM

Name:

Comment:

Hapa_Haole_Boywrote:

"The small island off the west coast of Maui is being held in trust by the state for a future Native Hawaiian sovereign entity." This is news to me. I've often said tongue-in-cheek that they should do this, but wow, it may very well happen eventually.

on January 31,2014 | 03:05PM

Name:

Comment:

HOSSANAwrote:

How can anyone even think of such an IGNORANT idea??

on January 31,2014 | 03:33PM

Name:

Comment:

Mythmanwrote:

Why not bury iwi in Nebraska? While we are at it, let's move homelands to Montana, or, Iowa.

time to outlaw corpse burials. i don't want my rotting bones to get in the way of anyone living in the future building a home or providing food for their family.

on January 31,2014 | 08:20PM

Name:

Comment:

squidbrowrote:

Stop wasting time, resources, and money.
IMHO, the spirit is eternal.
The left-over bones are not.
Move on.

on February 1,2014 | 12:30AM

Name:

Comment:

HanabataDayswrote:

Bachi! It will dog the footsteps of any legislator so foolish as to vote for this proposal. There is a certain symmetry, I suppose, between the destruction perpetrated on Kahoolawe, the rush to get na iwi off the construction site so work can resume, and the notion of Kahoolawe as a conveniently remote, out-of-sight-out-of-mind, mass grave for the uprooted iwi. Anyone who votes for this can expect to hear the tramp of ghostly, ancient feet through his bedroom, night after long sleepless night.

on February 1,2014 | 02:01AM

Name:

Comment:

haoleboy68wrote:

Why can't the state and federal government honor the wishes of the native Hawaiians and let their unearthed remains be buried on the same island. I don't understand. Who do they think they are?